Thursday, February 26, 2015

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly established December 5th as World Soil Day and declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. This action by the UN is meant to draw attention to the important role soils play in all of our lives.

For many of us in Philadelphia County, it is easy to forget about where our food comes from, trucked in from farms around the region, brought in by train from across the country, and flown in from exotic countries around the world. This food is grown somewhere, and the health of the soil is closely tied to the health of our food--both the quality and quantity.

According to the UN's announcement, "one-third of our soils have already degraded. If the current trend continues, the global amount of arable and productive land per person in 2050 will be a quarter of what it was in 1960. The world will have over 9 billion people in 2050, 2 billion more than today. And food production will have to grow by 60 percent to feed a larger population that will also be eating better."

In addition to the role soils play in feeding us, forests require them to grow, we use them for clothing, fuel and shelter, they play a role in water quality and management, and soils also play a major role in mitigating climate change. This video, put together by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), provides an easy-to-understand overview of the role of soils in our lives.

Here in the United States, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working with the SSSA, and will be highlighting a different theme each month. See the table below for monthly themes. Each month is linked to information on resources and activities for that month's theme.

Lets honor the International Year of Soils by educating ourselves and others about the importance of soils in our lives, and how to preserve and use soils sustainably. What action steps can we take in the our urban environment to help our soils? Here are a few ideas listed by SSSA in their video for February: Soils Support Urban Life:

Install rain gardens

Compost food scraps

Adding finished compost to your soil

Grow your own vegetables

Interested in learning more? Here are a handful of links to get you started:

These dates
are based on the Average Last Frost Date for the central parts of the city: April
20th. Higher and more outlying parts are a week or two later.
Adjust recommended dates for warm weather crops accordingly.

Crops marked
with a * are usually planted directly outside on or after the first setting-out
date.

CROP

WHEN TO START INSIDE

SETTING OUT DATE

FROM

TO

FROM

TO

Basil

16-Mar

23-Mar

27-Apr

4-May

Beans*

6-Apr

11-May

4-May

25-May

Beets*

23-Feb

16-Mar

6-Apr

13-Apr

Broccoli

23-Feb

16-Mar

6-Apr

13-Apr

Cabbage

9-Feb

2-Mar

23-Mar

30-Mar

Cauliflower

23-Feb

16-Mar

6-Apr

13-Apr

Collards

9-Feb

2-Mar

23-Mar

30-Mar

Corn*

23-Mar

27-Apr

20-Apr

11-May

Cucumber

30-Mar

20-Apr

27-Apr

11-May

Eggplant

23-Feb

23-Mar

4-May

18-May

Kale

9-Feb

2-Mar

23-Mar

30-Mar

Kohlrabi*

9-Feb

2-Mar

23-Mar

30-Mar

Lettuce

23-Feb

2-Mar

30-Mar

30-Mar

Melons

6-Apr

20-Apr

4-May

11-May

Mustard*

9-Feb

2-Mar

23-Mar

30-Mar

Okra*

23-Mar

27-Apr

4-May

25-May

Onions

26-Jan

16-Feb

23-Mar

30-Mar

Parsley

23-Feb

16-Mar

4-May

18-May

Peas*

9-Feb

9-Feb

9-Mar

2-Mar

Peppers

26-Jan

30-Mar

4-May

11-May

Pumpkins

6-Apr

20-Apr

4-May

11-May

Spinach

16-Feb

16-Feb

30-Mar

16-Mar

Squash

6-Apr

20-Apr

4-May

11-May

Swiss chard

23-Feb

16-Mar

6-Apr

13-Apr

Tomatoes

2-Mar

30-Mar

27-Apr

11-May

For advice
and information on all gardening topics e-mail or call the Penn State Extension
Philadelphia Master Gardeners HortLine

Philadelphia master Gardeners

The mission of the Penn State Extension Master Gardener volunteer program is to support the Penn State Cooperative Extension by utilizing research-based information to educate the public on best practices in consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship. Master Gardeners serve their communities by helping the public with horticulture, gardening, and pest management by providing educational workshops , answer gardening questions on the hortline, and provide school children and adults with gardening programs.